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Social care funding battle reaches the Supreme Court today

The long-running legal dispute between councils and health boards in Wales over who should pay for funded nursing care reaches the Supreme Court today (April 26).

The NHS pays for people who need 24/7 nursing care, while those who do not qualify for nursing care are funded privately or by the council. But who should pay for those who need some, but not 24/7, nursing care is to be decided by the Supreme Court.

A group of care home owners secured a judicial review which ruled in their favour.

But the health boards won an appeal, which is due to be considered by the Supreme Court today.

Mario Kreft, chair of Care Forum Wales, has criticised the dispute saying the cost of the case could have funded nursing care for 128 people for a whole year.

Daily Post: £1m court battle 'an outrage and an affront' says North Wales social care leader

He said the £1m CFW estimated had been paid in legal fees for the case was "ludicrous" and the money "should have been spent on delivering frontline care".

"Independent providers across Wales are entitled to this money for providing the care of older people," he said.

"This is a pathetic and very expensive squabble. We'd like to have a huge outbreak of common sense in the town halls and health boards in Wales. The public deserve a fairer deal on this," he added.

Read more on the social care funding legal battle

BBC News: Councils and health boards dispute who pays care costs